Enemy of the State
by hyperRme
Summary: The Shinigami are a notorious gang who kill criminals in the most mysterious ways. L is determined to take them down even if it means going undercover as a member and unintentionally falling in love with their leader. LxLight
1. Get Ready to Die

Title: Enemy of the State

Author: hyperRme

Summary: The Shinigami are a notorious gang who kill criminals in the most mysterious ways. L is determined to take them down even if it means going undercover as a member and unintentionally falling in love with their leader.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warnings: Guy on guy romance, rape, death, kidnappings, etc. There are mentions of Light X Teru but I assure you it's one sided only. I'm personally not a fan of the pairing.

Oh my gosh! What is this? Is it a new story? Why yes it is! Welcome to Enemy of the State! An AU story that's angsty, drama-filled, romance laced, and spoiler free. If you're looking for the fun filled comedy that An Apple a Day was, you're looking in the wrong spot. Doesn't mean that you shouldn't read it though!

Each chapter starts off with a small flashback to Light's past and they are not in order. They go along with the chapter as does the song title that the chapters are named after.

Please read and enjoy. Don't forget to send a review!

Get Ready to Die - Andrew W.K.

This is your time to pay,  
This is your judgement day,  
We made a sacrifice,  
And now we get to take your life.

* * *

_Seventeen year old Light's eyes widened as he read the rules. He felt Teru against his back as he read over his shoulder. "The person whose name is written in his book shall die?" the older boy scoffed. "Toss it out, Light. It's obviously a load of shit."_

_Light looked over his shoulder with a small smirk, "Oh? Would you like me to write your name down, Teru Mikami?"_

_Teru's brown eyes widened and he shook his head quickly, "Fuck no." Light's smirk increased and Teru cursed. 'Come on, it's fake. There's no way there's such thing as a killer notebook."_

_Light looked down at the black notebook. It was slightly battered and some of the pages were torn but not marked. He had to admit, it was a very boring looking notebook. Most people would have walked by it without a single glance or thought. Normally, Light would have as well. It looked like trash sitting innocently in the middle of an empty alleyway. It __was__ trash sitting innocently in the middle of an empty alleyway. But he was drawn to it nevertheless. It was like the little angel and devil on his shoulders were both in agreement to pick up that notebook._

_He never expected it to be titled 'Death Note' with rules on how to kill people using said notebook._

"_All right. Let's try it out on someone else."_

"_But Light, it's gotta be fake. I mean it's a freaking notebook in the middle of a fucking alleyway! You don't find shit like that!"_

"_You won't know until you try."_

_Light scanned the busy streets of Tokyo, spotting high school girls skipping class with a cigarette between their fingers, shady looking men looking through a magazine with a barely covered girl in a suggestive pose on the front, a mother scolding her defiant two year old, and a middle aged man reaching into a woman's purse. Light narrowed his eyes. The man carefully extracted a small purple wallet and grinned to himself as he snuck out of the crowd, just in time as the light turned green and the women walked across the street. Light followed him, startling Teru. The man walked swiftly, swerving in and out of the crowd. Light kept his full attention on him, ignoring every complaint out of his companion's mouth. The man stopped two blocks down in an alleyway, the wallet safely in his pocket. _

"_Excuse me, sir?" Light asked in his most mature tone. The man jumped and turned his beady eyes to him. "I have a few questions to ask you, if you don't mind. It's for a school opinion poll. May I have your name?"_

_The guy was shifting his weight, looking around him, as if there was a cop nearby who may overhear. "Touya Shika." Light nodded, scribbling the name down. _

"_What is your opinion of crime, sir?"_

"_Uhhh… it's a really bad thing. Don't do it," the man answered, his mind and eyes on the people around them._

"_Is that so? Then why did you steal from that woman's purse?"_

_Touya Shika snapped his attention to him and growled, his face furious. Teru quietly took a step back, tugging on Light's beat up brown jacket. "You little fucker!"_

_Light quietly counted down the seconds as the man rolled up the sleeves of his coat and took a step forward. "One," he said. Touya Shika halted in his steps as his heart gave a powerful lunge. He looked up, terror bright in his grey eyes, as the pain in his chest increased. His knees collapsed, his hands were grasping the fabric near his heart, and his face was paling quickly. As his eyes rolled to the back of his head, he toppled forward and smacked harshly onto the pavement. _

_Teru's breaths were fast and short. "Is he…?" Light reached to his neck and felt no pulse. He nodded and Teru crumpled against a brick building. "Oh shit… oh fuck… what the hell did we just do?"_

_Light reached into his pocket and pulled out the women's wallet. He held it up for his companion to see, "He stole. He is a criminal. Therefore, he deserves to die."_

_Teru's body slowly started to relax as his mind caught up with the situation, "He does deserve to die…"_

_Light nodded and pocketed the wallet. He headed west, toward the police station. _

"_They all deserve to die, Teru." _

* * *

Trust. How could such a small word hold such a strong feeling in his heart? Trust had betrayed him many times. He had trusted the old man who regularly gave him leftovers from his restaurant until he realized that he was expected to pay him back with his body. He had trusted the sweet, hungry child who secretly had an accomplice going through his pockets as he broke his only loaf of bread. But most importantly, he had trusted the "police officer" so many years ago when he said his father was badly hurt. He did not suspect that once he got into that cop car, his life would never be the same again.

He supposed there were people who he … respected for lack of a better word. Teru, the only one who had never turned his back on him and who helped organized the Shinigami, was someone he could rely on in hard times. He didn't trust him not to seduce him or tear his clothes off at night but he was always the first to help.

He respected Matt. He was the fastest hacker he had ever seen and held no qualms or revenge on anyone. He hid his secrets though and he didn't know if those secrets were powerful enough to one day make him crack.

All the other Shinigamis could not be trusted. They were criminals, after all. He smirked with a soft 'hnn'. Well, if they were criminals, then what was he, leader of these Shinigami?

"Light-sama?"

He opened his eyes and faced Teru, quietly awaiting his next order.

He was a blessing in disguise.

* * *

" _Forty heart attacks in Tokyo Jail"_

"_Mysterious Criminal Deaths" _

"_Just who is Kira?"_

"_Is Kira Responsible? –The People Demand Answers"_

"_Kira- the Leader of the Shinigami"_

"_Kira Rules over Killer Group"_

"_Popular Idol, Misa Amane, Swears in Her Allegiance to Kira and Shinigami"_

"_Misa Amane Defends Shinigami"_

"_Misa Amane Says Criminals Deserve to Die"_

"_Tokyo News Anchor Kiyomi Takada Pro-Shinigami"_

"_Kiyomi Takada Spreads Kira's Message"_

"_Criminal Deaths Skyrocket"_

"_Poll Shows Criminal Acts Decreasing"_

"_The Heated Debate: Is the Shinigami Doing the Right Thing?"_

Light skimmed over the headlines with a small, satisfied smile. He flipped a page in his scrapbook to find the headline from today's newspaper. _"Shinigami's Followers Increasing Rapidly" _Was it really just two short years ago that he had found the Death Note? Who knew his dream would rocket the way it did? Thanks to Misa and Kiyomi, his message was well sent and well received. He gently closed the scrapbook and tucked it under his double sized mattress. They were a small group, Misa, Kiyomi, Matt, Teru, Raye, and himself, but he enjoyed it just the way it was.

Glancing quickly at his desk, Light opened his door and walked into the hallway. Teru was in his room, his door wide open in case he was needed, scribbling away on a plain notebook. He glanced up at the sound of footsteps. "Light-sama?" he called.

"Yes, Teru?"

"I've been thinking that we should increase global purification." Light halted and listened. "We've been really focused on Japan and the United States but they're been a lot of attacks in England. Maybe we should start reading up on global news?"

Light nodded, "All right. I want you to research and send me possible cases, understand?"

Teru grinned brightly, his pen gripped tightly in his hand, "Yes, Light-sama. I'll get right on it." He suddenly looked down, his face growing a soft shade of pink, "Um, Light-sama, I was wondering if maybe tonight I could… help you relieve some stress…" He pushed his black rectangular glasses up his nose nervously.

Light resisted the urge to roll his eyes and continued walking. He should have known. "No, Teru. I'm very busy tonight. Why don't you ask Takada?"

He could hear Teru gagging at the mere thought of touching the anchorwoman. Light didn't blame him. He picked up his speed as his second in command called after him. He turned the corner and walked down the stairs. The calls soon stopped.

Misa was in the kitchen, reading a magazine article. The cover was a giant photo of her smiling face. He knew she was reading her article. Next to her sat Raye, a newcomer. He glanced up at Light as he walked into the room and quickly looked down, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Light didn't trust him at all. Teru told him to give him some time to relax and open up; he was hanging out with a bunch of killers after all. But Light found it strange how much Raye begged to be in the Shinigami, proclaiming his devotion to Kira and his goals, only to completely shut off from the group when he was accepted. He spent more time avoiding their eyes than anything else.

Misa glanced up as he walked by. "Light-sama!!"

He glanced over at her, "Yes, Misa?"

"Misa-Misa has an interview with _'Teen Street Magazine'_ tonight and then another one tomorrow with _'Star's Opinion'_!"

"Good, good. I know you won't fail to mention Kira's message."

"I never do, Light-sama!" Misa cheered. "I think Misa-Misa should be rewarded with a kiss, nee?"

Before Light could open his mouth to tell her off, a voice behind him beat him to it. "Misa-Misa should be rewarded with a good kick in the head."

Misa pouted, "Matt-kun is so cruel! Hey, look at me when I'm talking to you. Put that game down!"

Matt glanced up quickly, his green eyes hidden behind tinted goggles, and then returned to his DS. "What's up, Light?"

Light smiled. He liked Matt the most of the group. He was the only one who didn't treat him as if he were made of glass. "Matt, what are you doing out of your room? Isn't the sunlight hurting your eyes?"

The gamer looked up at him, a faint smile resting on his lips, "Look at that. Mr. Pole-Up-My-Ass Light just made a funny."

Raye flinched and Misa gasped, "Matt-kun! Don't say such things to Light-sama!"

"I decided a change of view would be nice," Matt continued, ignoring the blond girl. "That and my cigarette count is low. Do we have any in here?"

"We don't. I'm going out; want me to pick you up a pack?"

"Or three? Yeah, that'll be cool." He fished through the pockets in his jeans and pulled out twenty dollars. He handed it to Light. "Don't forget to give me the change back." He walked to the cabinets and began rummaging through them. "We got anything good?"

"There's some Oreo's in the back."

"Sweet," Matt grinned and reached farther, standing on the tops of his toes. "Yo, where's the stuck up princess? At work?"

"Kiyomi got called in for an important meeting," Misa answered. She grinned at Light, "I think it had something to do with Shinigami."

"Jack pot!" The red head turned around, a package of Oreo's in his hand. He yanked off the cover and shoved two in his mouth. "Nothing better than creamy goodness sandwiched between two awesome cookies, that's what I always say." He looked at Light and snapped his fingers. "Yo, Oreo's can only get me so far. My nicotine craving is killing me. Hop to it. Chop, chop!"

Light laughed, grabbing an apple, and left through the front door. "All right, all right, keep your knickers on." He closed it softly behind him and walked off the front porch. The leaves on the trees were a bright orange and crunched noisily under his feet. He watched a group of teens jump into a giant pile of leaves not too far off from the science building and frowned. He was never a big fan of the fall. He didn't like the mess the leaves made.

The campus was busy this time of day. The students sat around the large grass areas, books scattered before them, and others were running, late to class once again. A group of older students waved at Light and he waved back, recognizing them as his next door neighbors.

Turning out of the campus, Light spotted the city police station. He noticed that no panicking citizens were entering and no cars were speeding out of the garage. His silently congratulated himself and made a quick right into a small alleyway next to the station. There were others in that small strip between the station and the bakery. The brown brick wall of the bakery was bare and the white wall of the police station was dyed in a splatter of color. There were words, so many words, in all sizes and colors. Words of praise, words of redemption, words of corruption, words of hope, of dreams, of fear, of sorrow: all written on the wall of a police station. Five citizens were writing on the wall with permanent markers and spray paint. A small group was reading the wall, their eyes constantly moving, trying to take it all in. There was a small girl, about the age of six, staring at the wall. She turned to Light and gave him a tooth-less smile. She looked back to the wall and pressed her hand against it, right on the words 'Donald McRoy: Child Molester'

Light walked farther into the alleyway and looked at the wall. His eyes skimmed over the words, trying to find any recent works. His studied them, memorizing each name easily. He remembered the ones who he had killed and the ones who did not deserve to die yet were on the wall anyway. He frowned at the thought. Who writes the name of a single mother on a wall for Kira? That's just sick.

He saw an elder woman with a very grandmotherly look walk toward him. She smiled sadly at him. "I see you often here. Are you asking Kira to help you?"

He nodded, "I was kidnapped a long time ago and those kidnappers are still out there. I want them punished."

"Oh you poor dear!" the old woman gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. "That's horrible. Don't you worry any longer; Kira will punish them for you. I know he will. See that name right there?" she asked, pointing to the name 'Ryo Ashita'. Light nodded, remembering him very well. "He murdered two of my grandchildren. I asked Kira to punish him and the next day he was dead." She smiled at him. "Kira is a wonderful god. He will help anyone who asks. I come here often to pray for those who have not been given justice yet. I shall pray for you too, my dear."

Light smiled and gently placed his red apple in her wrinkled hands, "Thank you."

* * *

The crickets were loud outside and Teru's snores were even louder. Light silently glared at the naked man from his seat at his desk. He should have kicked him out the moment he was done with him. He sighed and spun in his chair, facing his laptop. He cursed at himself once more. Leading Teru on wasn't the greatest idea. No, scratch that. He told him every time they fucked that this was casual sex and nothing more and would never be anything more. But despite the disclaimer, Teru's eyes would grow wide, happiness pouring from every pore. And Light couldn't bring himself to care because he had too much frustration and just had to let it out right at that very moment. Next time, he thought, he'll just say no and look up porn or buy a punching bag.

Shaking all negative thoughts from his head, Light recalled the new names on Kira's Wall. He typed each name into the police's database he had hacked into and pulled up their info. He skimmed over each one and would make his decision based on the information. He glanced backwards at Teru, to make sure he was still asleep, before he opened the top drawer of his desk. He pulled out the black notebook with the title 'Death Note' written on it in white. He reached for a pen and unscrewed it, taking out cartridge. He felt underneath the bottom of the drawer until he found a small hole. He shoved the cartridge into the hole and lifted up a fake bottom. With a grin that could scare away a growling dog, Light pulled out another black notebook. He laid both on his desk and began to write.

An hour later, he stopped and stretched. His hand was beginning to cramp. Light glanced down at the notebooks, both exactly the same down to the very t's he crossed. He pulled up a kidnapper's information. He glared at his photo. He wasn't one of them. The images of his kidnappers were very clear in his memory. They were his clearest memories. He had to remember that the fact that they were his clearest memories wasn't saying much at all. He didn't have that many memories to be clear after all. Most of them were one big giant ball of fuzz that attacked his mind every so often, leaving him angry, dazed, and confused.

He slipped the Death Note under the false backboard and placed the replica on top. Light looked back at Teru, his snores long stopped as he entered his REM period. He sighed and reclined in his seat. Then he stood up slowly, cracked his back, and made his way down into the living room. He grabbed a pillow and a blanket from the armchair and threw himself on top of the couch. He glanced at the clock over the TV set; it was 2 a.m. He smiled as he closed his eyes.

Just made it in time to make the newspaper tomorrow.

* * *

He watched a boy write on the wall. His handwriting was worse than chicken scratch but it was still legible if he titled his head to the left at the right degree. The ten year old had a big smile on his face when he finished and left. 'Kimi Yama' it read. Usually there was a description next to the criminal and, in the end it really didn't matter but, Light preferred it when they wrote the crime. It made remembering them easier.

He felt a presence next to him. Thinking it was the old lady from two days ago, Light turned with a smile. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Light-sama," Teru answered cheerfully.

Light wanted to punch him. He spent all yesterday ignoring him and now all that work was for nothing. That pleasant good morning he thought he was giving the old lady will probably make Teru think they're back to normal.

"I told you before Teru-kun; there's no need for formality in public," Light scolded, turning toward the wall.

Teru's smile fell, "Oh, yes, sorry, Light-kun."

Light was serious when he said he was going to stop using Teru for sex. He was a loyal companion who did not need the title "Stress Relieving Fuck Buddy". He knew Teru would have no problem with that title at all. He seemed more than willing last night when he knocked on his door and was very saddened when Light refused and slammed the door in his face.

Teru has been completely smitten with him since the first time they met three years ago. Light had been looking for someone to help him live off the streets of downtown Tokyo and Teru was lonely and depressed since his mother committed suicide two weeks before. He believed that the only reason the twenty year old had fallen in love with him was because he was the only one in his age group who had ever shown him any compassion. He had no friends growing up except for some older kids and adults. The kids in his class thought he was too smart and too geeky to be normal.

He remembered the first time they had sex. He should have ignored him. He should have found a good wall to punch. But, he had been so angry, so frustrated and Teru was there. He was willing and he was a damn good kisser. He couldn't stop himself and the next thing he knew he woke up with a naked body next to his.

"Well, what do you want?" he asked, keeping his tone very clipped.

"I just wanted to ask if everything was okay," he said. He started to fidget. "I mean, you're acting sorta not like yourself and well… I mean… " Light sighed. Teru always made sure to pick his words carefully around Light as if he were afraid that a certain word would be like stepping on a grenade.

"Just spit it out."

"Did I do something wrong?"

Oh how he wanted to tell him off. He wanted to scream that he was a pest and an annoyance and although he agreed to sex, he wanted to throw up afterwards. He wanted to yell how he hated when he would just agree to everything he said and not give him an argument to enjoy and win. He wanted to tell him to use his intelligence and let them have a one on one conversation that wasn't about Shinigami, Kira, or the latest news. But he didn't. He simply said "I've just been thinking about what you had told me before. About going international."

Teru's face lit up, "I found a ton of information during the research you told me to do. I've got it all saved on my computer. But here's a little preview. I think we should start in England and…"

Light stopped listening. He decided that watching a middle aged man write on the wall was more interesting. It was, actually. Teru will repeat the same thing to him when he gets home in more detail anyway. But this man was here and now, experiencing pain similar to the pain Light had gone through.

"Dear Kira," the man prayed as he wrote, "this man has raped my wife. My poor Risa is battling depression and an STD. Please bring justice to this man so my wife and I can move on. She's in constant fear and I don't know what I can do to help. I know you will listen and protect us. Please." The man pressed his hand to the wall and closed his eyes. He sat in a moment of silence then opened his eyes and left the alleyway, wiping his eyes. Light memorized the name and frowned.

He knew exactly how that poor woman felt.

* * *

This chapter was mainly to introduce the characters and setting. More details will be explained later on.

I hope it isn't confusing so far. Basically: Light, Misa, Kiyomi, Teru, Matt and Raye are members of Shinigami. Light is the leader, Kira. He uses the Death Note to kill criminals. The rest have their own job that they do. There are no actual Shinigamis attached to the Death Note so no Ryuk or Rem following them around. Please feel free to ask questions.


	2. Epiphany

Title: Enemy of the State

Author: hyperRme

Summary: The Shinigami are a notorious gang who kill criminals in the most mysterious ways. L is determined to take them down even if it means going undercover as a member and unintentionally falling in love with their leader.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warnings: Guy on guy romance, rape, death, kidnappings, etc.

Thank you so much for the reviews! They were awesome! I'm glad the story is well received so far!

Epiphany – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Now we all deserve to die  
Even you Mrs. Lovett...even I  
Because the lives of the wicked should be made brief  
For the rest of us death will be a relief  
We all deserve to die.

* * *

_Light curled up tighter at the sound of footsteps outside of his holding cell. He held on to his legs and hid his head between his chest and his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut and prayed they wouldn't enter. The footsteps got louder, louder, louder… then they got softer as his kidnapper walked right past his cell door. With a sigh of relief, Light released his legs. He stood up slowly, hissing at the pain shooting up his right leg. He looked down at the bandage to see blood soaking through. _

_He cursed and tried to remember what his mother told him about wounds. The only problem was that he couldn't remember his mother. He could recall a fuzzy outline of a short woman with a kind face and he could just barely remember her smelling of faint flower perfume and dish soap. Other than that he could remember nothing else about her. _

_The door flung open and Light was temporarily blinded. A rough hand grabbed his hair and pulled. Light contained his yelp. "Guess what, brat?" the man asked, his voice rough from smoking. He smelt strongly of cigarettes. "I said guess what?" he yelled with a shake of his hair. _

"_W-what?" Light's voice cracked. _

"_Today is your two year anniversary," the man grinned, pulling Light out of his cell. "Isn't that exciting? We've never kept a kid around longer than we've kept you. Must be cause you're so entertaining."_

_Has it really only been two years, Light wondered in amazement. It seemed as if it were more like two decades since he's been in this hell hole. The days were boring and scary and the nights were long. He developed insomnia within the first week from fear. _

_The man pulled him down a hallway and into a dark room that Light had never been in before. This room was different. It was not cold and it didn't have a musky smell. It had carpet and it was fairly warm. It didn't have a smell at all and Light never realized how nice it was to not have to smell anything. _

_The man pushed him forward and Light stumbled a bit. He was caught by one of his kidnappers. He tried to yank his arms out of his grasping hands but he couldn't. "Light, Light, Light..." the kidnapper said. Light looked up. It was number one, the head kidnapper. He didn't know their names so he labeled them kidnapper one, two, and three. Number one was scary and cold; number two was a bumbling fool who often gave him extra food and talked with him like another human being; and number three didn't talk often but he was very good with manhandling. _

"_Today is your two year anniversary with us, did you know that?" Light nodded. "You've grown into quite a good looking young man, I must say. How old are you again? Fifteen, correct?" He nodded once more. "As a… congratulations present, if you will, we've decided to give you this room."_

_As if on cue, the lights flickered on. He almost gasped but held it in. They were watching him after all. The carpet was soft beige and the walls were a stainless white. There was a nearly empty bookshelf and a large soft bed. Light gaped at the sight of warm blankets and pillows. _

"_You like it?" Number one asked. Light nodded dumbly. "It's all yours…" He could almost hear the 'but' that was dying to come out of the kidnapper's lips but it didn't. "Go on, take a look around."_

_Light walked cautiously to the bookshelf. It only had about ten books and it was quite empty but he didn't care. The books looked fascinating although he couldn't remember if he had read them or not. He then made his way to the bed and sat on it. He almost released a content sigh. The bed was softer than it looked! _

_Suddenly a strong force knocked him on his back. Number one was straddling him. Light struggled, trying to get out of his position between the bed and his kidnapper. Number one grabbed his wrists and held them above his head. "Don't you think I should get some sort of thank you for this beautiful room?" Light cursed and struggled harder. "I wouldn't do that if I were you…" he said. Light froze. He was right. The kidnapper was getting turned on by this. _

"_P-please don't…" he whispered._

"_What was that? Mr. Ice Princess is begging? Saying please? HA! This is great! Guys, guys, come here!" Light's eyes widened. No, no, this can't be happening! He tried to get his wrists out but the grip was too strong. He brought his knee up swiftly, catching Number one in his balls. He howled and Light squirmed from underneath him and jumped off the bed. He made all of five steps before Number three caught him by the back of his dirty shirt. He was tossed carelessly on the sheets and was quickly topped. _

"_Get off! Please!"_

_The men grinned at each other and Light could swear tears were pouring down his face._

* * *

"Hello, Mr. Blue Gummy Bear."

"Good day, Mr. Red Gummy Bear."

"Beautiful weather, isn't it, Mr. Blue Gummy Bear?"

"Why yes it is, Mr. Red-"

"L?"

The world famous detective turned around slowly in his chair, "Yes, Watari?" He popped a gummy bear in his mouth to hide his embarrassment.

"Have you read this morning's newspaper?" the elder man asked.

L nodded, "Yes, four arsonists, three rapists, three murderers, two robbers and a kidnapper." He held up the newspaper, pointing to the headline: _"Another Kira Attack Last Night" _

"Have Near and Mello arrived?"

"Yes, they're putting their bags in their rooms now."

"Please escort them downstairs when they are done, Watari."

"Yes, L," Watari answered with a short bow and left the room. He chuckled quietly when he heard L wonder where Mr. Red Gummy Bear went. For the best detective in the world, he could be quite the airhead.

L stared at the article for a long time, as if he expected the Shinigami's location to just appear out of nowhere. It would be nice, he thought, and definitely less time consuming. But there would be no challenge, and to L, the challenge is the best part about being a detective. He hasn't had a good challenge in a while. Not since the great massacre in Bolivia a nineteen months ago.

In this case, the victims were dropping like flies, without ever being touched or harmed. They would suddenly clutch their chest, cry out, and collapse. L was at a loss. What could he possibly do when there was little to no evidence? He concluded, based on the times of death and victims, that Kira was somewhere between the ages of fourteen and forty-five because any other age wouldn't be able to continuous kill between the hours of midnight and three in the morning. Also, with Kira's goal being to rid the world of criminals, the chance of Kira being a teenager is quite high. Older people, who have more wisdom, know that a criminal free world is impossible. However, L thought as he gazed at a picture of Kira's supporters, more and more elderly were beginning to follow the Shinigami.

L sighed and ate another gummy bear. This case was going to be the death of him.

There was a soft knock on the door and L spun his chair around. Watari opened the door and let in two young teenagers, Near and Mello. Near was small for his age. He looked like he was ten, especially since he's never seen without some kind of toy, when he was really sixteen. He often wore white pyjamas and, with his albino skin and hair, L constantly worried about losing him in a snow storm.

Mello was a year older than Near and was average height for his age. He was often mistaken for a girl until he opened his mouth and let out a long strand of curse words in a deep tenor voice. He wore leather 99 percent of the time and had a habit of carrying chocolate wherever he went.

Both of these boys were the smartest L had on his team.

They nodded at him as they entered the room, silently taking in the clutter of sweets and newspaper articles. L stood up and walked toward them. "Did you come to a conclusion?"

Mello crossed his arms, not looking pleased. "Yeah, yeah, we're taking up the offer."

"Together?"

"If we must," Near said. Mello shot him a dirty glare.

"Good. While I'm undercover, I expect you two to do exactly what Watari says and not to fight. We cannot make it seem as if L has two personalities."

"How long will you be undercover?" Near asked.

"I'm not sure. I believe somewhere around three months. I am not sure how the Shinigami treat their newcomers. Or if they take any new comers at all."

"What about that Raye guy? He's a spy there."

"Yes, but I'm not coming to them as a follower. I'm coming as a criminal."

Mello raised an eyebrow.

"I'm going as Beyond."

"Are you crazy?" Mello yelled, pointing a finger at him. "You'll be killed!"

"I hate to agree but Mello is right. They will kill you at first sight."

"You forget Beyond is a known L hater. He is also one of the very few criminals who know what I look like. If they are smart, they'll keep me close."

* * *

Light kept to his promise and not once in three days has Teru come to his bed. Yes, he was feeling irritated and stressed, but his will power felt stronger than ever. Sex was not the answer to frustration, he reminded himself as he clutched tightly onto a stress ball. Sex was not the answer.

His stress had been through the roof lately, with demanding followers, nosy reporters, and, to top it all off, L has taken the case. It was a great shock and a humongous ego booster. L, the number one detective in the world, has chosen him. At the same time, it angered him that L didn't see that his view of dealing with criminals was flawed. Jail is nothing more than a little kid being told to sit in the corner for five minutes. Will he listen? Yes. Will the kid continue to do wrong afterwards? Yes.

Teru, on the other hand, was sweating bullets. He was terrified by the thought of the number one detective on their case. "He'll find us out for sure!" he had cried. "Fucking shit, we'll be thrown in jail and the rest of the criminals will fucking kill us. They were on our hit list so now we'll be on theirs!"

It took a good punch in the jaw to get him to shut it.

Takada and Light both knew of L's cases in the past. The man really knew how to pull a blind side and take down his man. But only Light seemed confident that he could pull them away from L's careful eyes. The others were very worried. Misa and Takada talked about getting more members of Shinigami to increase the brain power but Teru and Light shot them down. Teru talked about strategies to confuse L, most of which included taking time away from killing and spending his time doing other things. Light told him off rather quickly. Matt seemed indifferent to it all. He said that he trusted Light's judgment but he noticed how the gamer would flinch or tense whenever the topic of L was brought up. He also noticed how Raye did not seem as worried as the rest. In fact he seemed… hopeful? Almost as if he wanted L to find them. The percentage of Raye being a spy went up greatly.

Lately, he's been spending an incredibly large amount of time rereading the rules in the Death Note. There had to be some sort of loophole that he could use to kill the detective. But he couldn't find any. The best he got was the small signature line on the back of the front cover. "Sign here to make the Shinigami Eye Deal" it read. Light had looked the Shinigami Eye Deal under the rules. "Trade half of your life span in order to see a person's name and life span above their head" He decided that no matter how useful having those eyes would be, he would never trade half of his life span. He wanted to spend a long time with his family once he caught the kidnappers and found his family. Until then, he would have to find out L's name and face the old fashion way.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. He could feel a nasty migraine coming along. He and his gang were all bunched up at the small kitchen table. Honestly, he thought, this table could only fit four people. Why didn't they have the meeting in the living room? Teru and Misa were having a screaming match while Matt and Raye tried to blend in with the background. Kiyomi looked nervously at him. "Light-sama?"

Light slowly turned his head toward hers, his chin resting on his hand. "Yes?"

She mumbled quietly, her voice drowning under Misa's and Teru's escalating bicker. "What was that? Speak up?" he all but growled out, his headache pounding harder.

"I offered a man a position in Shinigami," she said softly, twisting her hands together.

"You did what?" Light hissed. The whole room quieted down at the tone of their leader's voice. They looked nervously at Kiyomi, not daring to look at Light the wrong way.

"Please hear me out, Light-sama…"

"You went against my orders! I told you I want no more members!"

"But Light-sama…!"

"It'll be easier for L to catch us! It'll be easier for us to make stupid mistakes if we don't keep a good eye on this new guy! We don't need any more members!"

"B-but…"

He slammed a hand down on the table, "I will hear no more of this. Get out. All of you. Before I decide to kill every one of you."

They all sped out of the room, except Matt who simply walked with his face in his game console. Light slummed down in his chair. His migraine was pounding fiercely. How could she? She disobeyed him. Did she not know of the consequences? Was he too lenient of a ruler? He punched the table again. How was he supposed to rule the world when he couldn't keep five young adults in line? This wasn't according to plan. Five people were all ready too many. He couldn't trust any of them at all. None of them. They were all criminals who deserved to die. Kiyomi sabotaged a news anchor to take her spot. Matt was a hacker who caused chaos in governments all over the globe. Teru physically assaulted many people who looked at him oddly. Misa stole money to jumpstart her modeling career. And Raye… he was a spy. He deserved death more than anyone else in his book.

Light stood up abruptly in his chair and stormed out of the house. His neighbors were sitting on their front step, going over the notes for their science test. They didn't wave at him and Light didn't notice. His walk through the campus was like a giant blur. He couldn't remember how the leaves crunched loudly under his feet or how the cold air ruffled his hair and made his cheeks red or how he was nearly trampled over by a bunch of guys playing football. His mind was clouded over by rage.

The next thing he remembered was standing at the gap between the police station and the bakery. He then felt the cold air, saw the hair in his eyes, and noticed he had bits of leaves stuck to his shoe laces. He walked in. There was nobody there. He had never been the only one there before. No, he thought as he squint his eyes a bit. There was a man staring at the wall. He held no marker or paint. He had wild black hair and eyes that contrasted against his pale skin. He had nothing on but a white sweater and jeans.

Light stopped and stared at this man. He had never seen him before. The man looked over at him and gave a short nod before returning his gaze to the wall. Light stopped next to him and faced the wall. And so they stood, side by side, reading the words on the wall in complete silence.

* * *

Kiyomi was in the living room when he returned later that night. She sat on the couch with her back straight and her hands folded on her lap. She was nervous but tried her hardest not to show it. Light took in a deep breath and sat on the armchair across from her.

They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes. Light was waiting for her to begin and Kiyomi was too scared to start. "You had an idea…?" he offered.

She jumped, "Y-yes. Yesterday a man came up to me after I had left the news studio. He was really creepy looking so I tried my best to get around him but he was threatening to blackmail me if I didn't listen. He said he knows I'm a Shinigami and would go to the police. I said he didn't have proof and he said that he did. Then he told me that he could help us. Of course, I just thought this man wanted to join our group because he was a hobo and had nowhere else to go but then… he told me he's Beyond Birthday."

Light's eyes widened and he straightened his back. "Beyond Birthday? That crazy murderer who challenged L in Los Angeles?"

"I knew his guy had to be him because the case was kept very quiet, even in the media world. I only heard about him because I overheard my boss talking about him."

"Yes, I remember you telling me about him a while ago. The only one who ever got close to beating L is Beyond. He could be very valuable."

"That's what I thought when we met," Kiyomi said. She stopped twisting her hands and sat up taller. "He said he would help us take down L."

"What's the catch?"

"Cake and lots of it."

"Cake? That's it? There's got to be more."

Kiyomi shook her head, "That's all he said."

"Well, if that's what Beyond wants then that's what he'll get. Did you get a way to contact him?"

Kiyomi reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small slip of paper. She handed it to him, "He said it was for you only. I haven't read it. I'm guessing that's how to get in touch with him."

Light stood up, "Good work, Kiyomi. This is very beneficial. We'll talk more in the morning. Good night."

She gave him a short wave and walked toward the kitchen with an empty coffee mug in her hand. Light walked slowly up the stairs, careful not to make any noise that would alert Teru and his dog like ears, and softly shut his bedroom door. Luckily Teru was not all ready in there, waiting for him.

He looked at the paper in his hand. His time staring at the wall made him realize that maybe he did need help facing L. Light knew he could take down L. How could L possibly catch a murderer who was never at the crime scene? It's impossible! He's perfectly safe. But this was L. L is the greatest detective in the world. Light studied his past cases many times. L could find clues in ways Light never thought possible. This man was smart and cunning. Even though Light felt as if he could take him on, he worried about what would happen if he failed.

Light closed his eyes and remembered the wall. He thought of the little space between the police station and the bakery. He thought of all the people who had written on the wall and who prayed that Kira would serve justice. He remembered the little girl, the young boy, the middle aged man, and the old woman. They, among many others, were counting on him to kill criminals. They were the innocent who had wrong things done to them. They didn't deserve what had happened to them. Light understood that. He knew just as much as they did how cruel criminals could be. That's why they had to die. And that's why Light could not fail. If L did manage to catch him, the innocent people would be devastated. So if this Beyond Birthday could really help them avoid L, then Light will accept him into the gang.

He sighed loudly and pulled out his Death Note and his fake one. He hit the power button on his computer and the monitor lit up. He tapped his pen on the desk as the computer loaded. Finally, his red wallpaper showed up and he opened up the police database. He enjoyed hacking into the database. The files were neat and organized which made his life a whole lot easier. It even had a search bar. The database had two main files: 'Alive' and 'Deceased'. He found it pointless to open the 'Deceased' folder for obvious reasons and clicked on the 'Alive' file. There opened another two sub files: 'In Jail' and 'At Large'. Clicking on the 'In Jail' folder, he searched for names he had seen on the wall. As he skimmed through the names, he was glad to see the archive smaller than yesterday. It thrilled him greatly when the names that had been in the file did not appear the next time he checked.

He killed those who had their name written on the wall and a couple of extras because he could. Moving from the 'In Jail' folder to the 'At Large', Light skimmed through more hideous mug shots and surveillance camera photos. He looked hard for the faces that haunted him but they weren't there. Giving a disappointed sigh, he focused on the criminals his people wanted gone.

He finished around three in the morning. He reread the list and was shocked he had killed so many. "Guess I'm more stressed than I first thought…" he mumbled, putting away the two notebooks. He closed the laptop with a sound 'click' and stared out the window. It was a quiet night. With midterms around the corner, the parties have stopped for the time being. It was nice to have it so quiet, he thought.

Getting up from his chair, he flicked off the lights and flopped ungracefully on his bed. He lay on his stomach for a while until he remembered he forgot to get undressed. Deciding he didn't care, he flipped on to his back and stared at the ceiling.

It was too quiet. Growling he turned on to his side then to his other side after a few minutes of sleepless torture. Finally, Light sat up and leaned against the headboard.

"I thought I was over this…" His insomnia almost went away a year after he had escaped from the kidnappers. It's almost only because he has trouble sleeping before two in the morning and has a bad habit of waking up between seven and seven thirty. Other than that, he slept peacefully. Although once in a while, it would strike again and leave him up for the whole night, if not a couple of nights in a row. He found a pattern of insomnia cases when he had something that was bothering him or if his room was too hot or too cold.

He knew that letting a new member join wasn't a smart idea but they might really need this Beyond Birthday guy. He could help them greatly. He would probably be a better Shinigami than the current members. Misa and Takada were their spokeswomen, Matt helped him hack past the toughest of security walls, Teru was a good spy and did a hell of a lot of dirty work. Light wasn't the best hacker, he would never sit in a bar all night to watch a suspect, and he couldn't get the attention that Misa and Takada drew in. But if there was one guy who didn't do a single thing it was Raye. Honestly, Light couldn't remember a single thing that Raye had done other than being a servant boy to them and fetching their laundry or groceries.

Light wanted to lie down and try to force himself to sleep but he knew in the end it would be futile. Sleep did not come easily to him when his insomnia kicked in. He got up instead and made a trip downstairs for a mug of hot chocolate. He waited for the water to boil, hoping that no one would hear him. The last thing he needed right now was company. When the tea kettle began to screech, he quickly grabbed it and poured the water over the hot chocolate mix. He rummaged through the refrigerator and pulled out the half and half. He added the creamer and stirred his drink with a spoon. He sat down in the living room with his mug in both hands. He took a small sip and smiled. There was something about hot chocolate that interested him so much. He normally disliked sweets but hot chocolate was perfect. He suspected he drank it often when he was younger. He had a vision of his blurry but sweet mother handing him a mug of hot chocolate when he was upset or cold. She would smile at him and pat his head and he would grin back up at her and thank her.

He wondered if his family remembered him. And if they did, were they searching for him or had they given up? Or were they dead? If they ever met back up, what wouldthey think of Light's lifestyle now? He imaged them to be Kira followers. After all, their son was kidnapped so they probably prayed to Kira every night for him to give them justice for their pain and loss.

He drowned the rest of his hot chocolate and carefully placed the mug in the sink. Tip toeing upstairs, Light reluctantly crawled back into bed. Suddenly, he had an idea. A perfectly wonderful idea that was so simple, it was genius. With a plan forming in his head, he felt the weight of the world fall from his shoulders and his eyelids begin to drop.

* * *

Chapter two complete! Was it enjoyable? Hopefully not too confusing.

Big news: I just found the script of the American version of the Death Note movie online. Oh god, it's… it's… weird. I feel as if the manga Death Note didn't exist and they had come up with the movie, it would be okay but the fact that they had a beautiful plot to follow and they didn't really pisses me off.

SPOILER ALERT! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW HOW THE MOVIE IS DON'T READ. JUST SKIP STRAIGHT TO THE LAST PARAGRAPH

They changed the whole Yagami family or as they are now called the Murray family. Sayu is Sarah, Soichirro is Sean, Sachiko is called both Linda and Laura (because they can't seem to remember what her name is) and Light is now Luke. WTF? Light is freaking English, why did they change it? Oh, and Linda/Laura is dead. Yeah, she was killed off a couple of years ago which provides a reason for revenge for Luke. There is no Misa, there is no Ryuk. Luke wants to be a lawyer and works in a fish market in Queens, New York. He has a girlfriend named Sophia.

There are some parts that come from the manga and the Japanese live action movie. Such as the bus with Raye Penber (now Ray Roe and the bus scene wasn't exactly the same) and the mini TV and Death Note scrap in potato chip bag (that made me happy, I will admit) and from the movie there is his girlfriend getting held hostage with the person holding her hostage is all like "ADMIT YOUR KIRA FOOL" like that. On another positive note, L is L, Watari is Watari, and Lind L. Taylor is still Lind L. Taylor.

Also: L AND LUKE NEVER MEET!!! WTF?!?! Well, no that's a lie. They do meet for three seconds. Here's their entire conversation:

L: You okay?

Luke: Yeah… do I know you?

L: No… but I know you. –eats out of a potato chip bag-

Yup. That's the extent of their meeting. But L had the potato chip bag like in the movie which I thought was funny.

Oh another important thing! They consider the Death Note to be completely evil and every time Luke holds it and gets mad, the Death Note feeds off of his anger and makes him evil. You know the whole red hair, small pupil, super evil look on his face Kira-Light? In contrast to the normal innocent Light you see in the beginning of the series and when he's chained to L? Then he'll kill the people, become normal again and be like "What did I just do?!?!" It's super weird.

Luckily, it's a first draft so hopefully they'll make some better changes? Like keeping Light's name?

Back to spoiler free! Please review and I'll update faster than I did last time!


	3. The Bird and the Worm

Title: Enemy of the State

Author: hyperRme

Summary: The Shinigami are a notorious gang who kill criminals in the most mysterious ways. L is determined to take them down even if it means going undercover as a member and unintentionally falling in love with their leader.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warnings: Guy on guy romance, rape, death, kidnappings, etc.

Now we're getting into the plot! So exciting!

The Bird and the Worm – The Used

All alone he turns to stone  
while holding his breath half to death  
Terrified of whats inside  
to save his life he crawls  
like a worm from a bird  
crawls like a worm from a bird

* * *

_The boy was shaking. He could barely put the cigarette in his mouth without missing and burning his lips. He took a long, deep inhale of smoke and let it all out with a loud, choking cough. He jumped as car honked its horn somewhere off in the distance. He fumbled with the sleeve of his dirty white and black striped shirt and shuffled his feet. Glancing around cautiously, the young teen finally left his small niche next to a stoop. Immediately, he was bombarded with people from all sides, pushing and shoving at him. He dropped his cigarette in fright. There was a scream._

_Teru finally stopped talking to join Light in watching the scene across the street. A small boy stomped on the ground and shook his hands through his hair, crying. The cigarette fell to the ground and the boy's father quickly stomped it out. "Who dropped this?" he yelled. "Who dropped the fucking cigarette on my son?"_

_The crowd was in an uproar. "Show yourself!"_

"_How could you do this?"_

"_He's just a kid!"_

_Light saw the young redheaded teen sneak away. Narrowing his eyes, he followed. "Eh?" Teru asked. "Light! Where are you going?"_

_The boy was faster than Light had predicted. It was more impressive now that he can clearly see a limp in his left leg. He crossed the street and disappeared into a throng of bodies. Cursing, Light sped up, forcibly pushing past the crowd. Teru was literally on his heels. He knocked a bag of groceries out of an old man's hands and Teru stopped to help him out. People were cursing but he didn't care; he had finally found that red headed boy. _

_The boy was slowing down and Light broke into a sprint. He clamped his hand down on his shoulder and shoved him into an alleyway and up against a wall. The red head cried out. "I saw you do it," Light hissed dangerously. "I saw you drop that cigarette on that boy. Why did you do it?"_

"_Please, it was an accident!" he cried. "Let me go!"_

_One hand on the Death Note and the other on the boy's throat, "Too bad I don't believe you."_

"_Let me explain!" the boy's voice cracked under a thick sob. Light didn't want to; he had clearly seen the boy drop the cigarette but then he remembered how nervous and broken he had been before. He sighed and released his grip on the boy's throat. _

"_Fine."_

_The boy wiped the tears from his green eyes. "M-my parents were murdered last night. At least, I believe it was murder. I woke up in the middle of the night to find my house on fire. I-I tried to find my parents but I couldn't get to their door because a burning shelf had fallen in front of the door. I couldn't breathe so I ran out. I used my neighbor's phone to call the fire department but by the time they got there… the house had collapsed. My parents were… they were still inside."_

"_Why do you say it was murder?" Light asked._

"_There was gasoline traces on the house. They think someone poured gasoline on with the intent of murder."_

"_Why would anyone want to kill your parents?"_

_The boy glanced down at his feet. Light followed his eyes. Up close, his clothes were a mess. One leg of his pants were burned off and the other side had holes in them, his shirt was darkened by the smoke, and he could see his gray socks through the holes in his black converse shoes. His skin was ashy grey and ugly blisters were on his calves and hands. "They were lawyers. My dad just lost one of his cases and I'm guessing maybe the family wasn't too happy. … I really don't know. That's the only reason I can possibly think of._

"_I'm terribly sorry."_

"_Do you believe me now?" the boy asked._

_Light nodded, "I'm Light, by the way."_

"_Matt," he grinned, putting his hand out._

_

* * *

_

Light sat by himself at a coffee shop. He sipped at his black coffee, careful not to burn his tongue. The girls three tables over were giggling as they pointed at him but he ignored them and stared out the window. He never realized how bare the trees were getting until now. The ground looked like someone just upchucked red and orange Gatorade with chunks of pineapple. He frowned, it was disgusting looking. How those five years old could jump in it, he'll never know.

He looked down at his watch; it was one in the afternoon. Surely, Beyond Birthday would be up by now. He pulled out the slip of paper Kiyomi had given him. The handwriting was very sloppy and it was either the fours looked like nines or the nines looked like fours. He couldn't tell. Deciding to stick with nines, he punched the numbers in and held the phone to his ear. As he waited for the criminal to pick him, he heard the girls complain, "He's probably calling his girlfriend. I bet she's not prettier than me!"

The phone was picked up on the third dial, "I am guessing I am speaking to Kira?" His voice was low and quiet.

"That would be correct," Light answered softly, secretly watching the girls.

"I was wondering when you'd call me. I gave the anchor lady my number two days ago."

"I'm a busy man."

"Yes of course, thirty-two deaths last night and sixty-seven the previous. Now let us talk about my employment."

"This isn't an employment. It is more of a membership. A membership that is very hard to get. I will put you through a test first to see if you're worthy and capable of being a follower."

"Hmm, I see. I would expect no less than Japan's greatest threat."

"I am no threat but to those who have done wrong," Light snapped.

"Yes, yes, of course. You do know, Kira, that I have committed crimes in the past?"

"I do know that. I have read up on your crimes in the past. However, I am willing to look past your murders for your information on L."

"Oh yes, wise and powerful Kira, please spare me for my deeds," he laughed sarcastically.

Light frowned, "I don't like your mocking. I don't need you."

"Ah, but that's where you are wrong, Kira," this guy sound way too smug. "You do need me. You need my information because without it you won't win. Let's face it; L is a very smart man. He knows detective work better than you know Japanese. If he takes you down, just think of all the people who will be upset. All those people who have had things stolen, who have been raped, who has had loved ones killed or kidnapped."

Light growled under his breath. He was going to kill this man. Whether it be an accident out of anger or with the Death Note once L was out of the picture, he swore that this man will be dead by his hands. "I could take L on without you."

"Sure you could. But do you know when L sleeps? What information he has a habit of skipping over? What his personality is like? How he responds to news?"

"And you do?"

"Of course, I do. Now do you want my information or not?"

After a brief silence, Light sighed, "What is it you require for your information?"

He could practically see the smile on Beyond Birthday's face, "Cake. And lots of it."

* * *

Light knew Teru wasn't a fan of a new member joining. He had hissed at every new member, including Matt. He was acting putout and needy. He tried to crawl into his bed more times in two days than Light could remember him doing in two weeks. In order to keep his sanity, he sent him out on spy missions that would take up his entire night. He would never tell him that half of those missions were fake but he figured what he didn't know couldn't hurt him.

He arrived at the wall again. Light glanced around at the people, watching them talk in hushed tones and writing vigorously. He didn't want to admit that he had been looking for the mysterious black haired man but he couldn't ignore the disappointment he felt when he wasn't there. He looked like he would have had a good story to tell him. Light enjoyed listening to people's stories. Some people would call it eavesdropping but Light didn't. They were praying to Kira, after all.

In the time span of thirty minutes, he's heard two stories on robberies, one on a con artist, three on murder, and one heart breaking tale of animal abusers stealing and killing a young boy's dog. After that last one, Light decided to call it quits. But he had no desire to return to the house. Teru should be waking up from last night's mission, and no doubtfully either very horny or very clingy. Misa's manager had her grandmother's ninety-first birthday so Misa had no interviews or photo shoots today. Takada was on her break and Raye was probably cooking or sitting around watching the wallpaper peel in the kitchen. Matt, the only one he could stand for more than a few minutes, had some errands to run and was probably not home yet.

He decided to take a walk around the town. The town was small but busy, especially now that midterms are over. Students packed the arcade, the diner, the clothing store, and the small pub. Light decided to take his chances and walk into his favorite café. The café was small and quiet. It smelt like roasting coffee beans and frosting. Not many students came here because they preferred the more expensive and popular Starbucks a short walk down the street. The coffee at this café was cheap and creamy and at Starbucks, their coffee tasted like crap but no one got plain coffee there. They bought their frozen coffee drinks and their hot sugar and caramel laced coffee.

There were six other people in the café; a student on her laptop with chunky headphones on her head, a young couple laughing, three girls eating scones and cupcakes, and an older teacher who looked uncomfortable surrounded by all these students. The cashier flashed a smile at him. "What can I get for you?" he asked.

"A medium black coffee."

The cashier nodded and pushed a button on the cash register. "Is that all?" he asked, writing down his order on a white and blue cup.

"He'll also have a blue berry muffin."

Light turned around to see Matt grinning at him. "Man, I'm starving! Good thing I found you here, I just realized I left my wallet at home!"

The cashier looked hesitant to add the muffin but Light gave him a nod. "That'll be $3.25." He gave him exact change and he was told to sit and they'll call him when his order was ready.

Matt followed Light to a corner in the back. "Fancy seeing you here, Light. Didn't know you were a small cute café kind of person."

Light shrugged, "Their coffee is good and cheap. I can't argue with that."

"Nah, I guess you can't. You should have seen the game store today, it was jam packed with students. I couldn't find the game I wanted. I have never been so disappointed in my life!"

"I thought you said you didn't have your wallet," Light said, his eyes narrow.

"I did say that, didn't I?" he laughed. He reached into his wallet and pulled out an old wallet with singe marks on the corners. "I was just really hoping you'd buy me something."

Light rolled his eyes, "You're insufferable, you know that?"

"But you love me for it," Matt winked.

The cashier called out their order. Matt picked them up and handed Light his coffee. "I don't know how you can drink it black. Sounds bitter."

Light shrugged, "You smoke and cigarettes are bitter. I don't see much of a difference."

Matt ignored him and took a bit of his blueberry muffin, "Damn these things are good! I'll have to get another one."

"I'm not paying for it."

"Aw, Light, you're no fun!" He took another large bit and wiped the crumbs from his chin. "So when's this new guy coming?"

"In two days. He said he had some unfinished business to attend to before he could move in with us."

"Where's he staying at? We don't have any more rooms open, unless he likes the couch or sharing with someone. Dude, no way is he staying with me. Nu-uh. He can stay with Raye. The guy'll probably beat him up though. Raye's such a push over. Although, we don't need any more inner group battles. It's bad enough Misa and Kiyomi have to share a room. Those two primadonnas are terrible together."

"I've got it all under control," Light replied, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I'm not surprised. You've always got something up your sleeve."

Light gestured to his lips and Matt brushed the crumbs off of his face. "I'm just hoping it'll work they way I want."

"Oh? Is this plan a little risky? You don't seem like the kind who would take a daring chance."

"I do take chances," Light growled.

"Yeah, but only if you're one hundred percent of the outcome," Matt said. "You just said that you hope it works out your way. Obviously, you're not one hundred percent sure."

"It'll either turn out the way I want it or it won't. But even if it doesn't, I'll make it work. I'm going to need your help."

Matt perked up with a grin. "Yeah? For the main plan or for the backup plan?"

"The main one."

"Even better. What do you need me to do?"

"Do you have security cameras lying around your room?"

"Yeah, of course," Matt looked insulted that he even had to ask.

"Do you have everything you'll need to set them up?" Matt nodded. "Let's go outside. I'll tell you while we walk."

* * *

Light didn't tell Matt his entire plan although he wouldn't be too surprised if the man had it all figured out. He didn't say anything about it but he gave Light worried looks once in a while as if silently asking him if he was really going through with this. He had called Beyond Birthday the day before, telling him to meet at the hotel on Main Street at midnight.

"Light-sama? When are you going to meet with him?" Misa asked for the twenty-third time that week.

"We'll be leaving in an hour."

"We?"

Light nodded, "Yes, Misa. I told you before that all of us will be going."

"But why?"

"You'll find out when we get there."

Light left before they did. He told Teru to bring them to Kira's Wall at midnight. He entered the hotel a little before eleven fifty. The hotel was clean and spotless. It was mostly used for parents while visiting their child at school so it wouldn't be too odd if Light would enter. He also didn't know Beyond Birthday's age but he figured that any age wouldn't look too suspicious in here. The lady at the front desk recognized him and smiled.

He smiled back and climbed up the stairs to level three. The hallway was quiet except for the hum of the air vent. He stopped at room 340 and pushed his card key in. Seeing the green light, Light opened his door and expected the unexpected.

There, stood by the open window that showed the small town, was a skinny man dressed in a white shirt and blue jeans. He had wild black hair and a slummed posture. He turned around and faced Light. His skin was pale and under his dark eyes were large black rings. He had a crooked smile. "So, Kira often visits his wall?"

This was the man from the other night. "How else am I supposed to know who my people want punished?" His voice sounded breathy. He cleared his throat and held out his hand. "I am Kira but I would rather you call me Light."

"I am Beyond Birthday but I would rather you call me Ryuuzaki," he said, taking his hand. "I hope you don't mind, Light-kun, but I went through your computer." He jerked to his thumb to the computer on the table.

"No trouble at all. In fact, I wanted you to look at the computer," he said, walking toward the table. Ryuuzaki followed closely behind. He pulled up the security cameras that were connected to the police station and the bakery. They looked in the alleyway of Kira's Wall. "See those five people down there? Those are my Shinigami. I will be joining them down there shortly. While I'm there, I want you to watch them closely. One of them is a spy. I want you to kill him or her."

* * *

Man! I hate that opening! That stupid flashback with Matt is so terrible. It wasn't originally that scene. That scene wasn't going to come much, much, much, much, much, later in the series so it really wasn't planned out all that well. Matt's entire background isn't very planned out, now that I think about it. But the scene I originally had is very important and it would lose its value if I played it too early in the story so it's moved back... like twenty chapters.

Anyway, woah plot twist! Someone is dying all ready! :D I'm excited.

Has anyone seen Yugioh the Abridged Series? If you haven't, you're not a real anime fan. If you have, holy shit it's amazing, isn't it? I've been listening to Leather Pants for the past few days. It totally got me into Thiefshipping. Sadly, I can't find any really awesome fanfics on them…


	4. Assassin

Title: Enemy of the State

Author: hyperRme

Summary: The Shinigami are a notorious gang who kill criminals in the most mysterious ways. L is determined to take them down even if it means going undercover as a member and unintentionally falling in love with their leader.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warnings: Guy on guy romance, rape, death, kidnappings, etc.

Thanks for the reviews! They make me super incredibly happy. Keep them coming! In here starts the Light and L interaction.

Assassin – Muse

Whatever they say  
These people are torn  
Wild and bereft  
Assassin is born

* * *

_Light didn't know what to expect. After a week of isolation besides the once a day feeding time, Light had never seen his captors. He sat by himself trying to recall what had happened. He remembered being told his father was injured, being thrown into a car, blinding pain on the back of his head as he screamed to be let go, then waking up in this cell with his memories either fuzzy or gone completely. But today was different. The captors did not come at their normal time and they did not come with food. Number three had picked him up by the back of his shirt and literally dragged him out of the cell. He struggled to his feet but kept tripping. _

_They had reached a door and Light had been chucked inside. He skidded across the concrete floor and hissed in pain. The room was much brighter than Light had been used to and he covered his eyes with his arm. He had no time to adjust to the light and was picked up harshly by his hair. He stumbled to his feet, hoping to release some of the pain from his roots. _

"_Lookie, lookie. Our little Asian has his eyes even more squinty-er than normal!" _

_Light resisted the urge to scowl. His instincts told him to shut it at least until his eyes could bare the light. He didn't know how long it would take. He has been in a dimly lit room for a week. _

"_We haven't heard any word back on your ransom money." Number one sounded annoyed. "You'd think your father would care about you more." _

_He held his breath; he was torn between wanting to hear more about his father and not wanting to. How could his father not pay the ransom? Was he that unimportant to him? He wanted to strongly believe that his father loved him dearly but he had no memory of him. He could be as awful as these men for all he knew. _

_He opened his eyes a fraction. The room was concrete gray and nearly empty except for two handcuffs attached to the wall. He had a gut feeling that those chains were no good. His gut feeling increased as he was roughly pushed toward them. His bare feet scraped on the floor as he tried to resist. _

"_Look here, Light," Number one growled, "the sooner your ransom is paid, the sooner we'll let you leave. We brought you here to… speed up the process" Number three chuckled behind him. _

_The next thing he knew, he was strapped to the cuffs. He tried to move his arms but the restraints were nearly cutting off his blood flow to his wrists. Panic bubbled up inside him as he thrashed wildly. He kicked and twisted his body. Blood rolled down from his wrists, the handcuffs slicing him with every movement. _

_He stopped mid kick when his temple nearly exploded in terrible pain. Number three pulled his fist back and smirked at him. Light was breathing heavily, stunned. His mouth tasted awful and he spat. His senses rushed back to him at the sight of his blood on the ground. _

"_Now do you see what I mean?" Number one asked. "If you cooperate, we'll only need to do this once before sending your picture to your dear daddy." He turned to his two companions and muttered: "He just needs a little push is all."_

_Light's head was killing him. Was this the worst pain he's ever experienced? His head hurt him when he woke up but that was a dull aching pain. His stomach hurt often but it felt better after eating, even if only a little. His body hurt from sleeping on concrete but it was more of a stiff-joint ache. This pain from his head was nothing like those past experiences. Is this just the beginning?_

_His body tensed up when Number one and three looked at him. The look in their eyes spelt danger and greed. Number two was looking at anything but him. _

_Number one opened his mouth; Number two squeezed his eyes shut; Number three pulled back his fist; Light screamed. _

_His world went black as his body drowned in a tidal wave of excruciating pain. _

0o0

L listened as Kira closed the hotel room door and walked down the hallway. He didn't move until he saw the killer through the cameras in the alleyway. He was calm as he began to lead the discussion on the new member. He had very good looks, L thought. His brown hair and light chestnut eyes were rare in Japan but he didn't look like he was anything less than one hundred percent Japanese. He was tall, as tall as L was, and his body was very slim. He talked using simple movements with his hands. The man in glasses next to him began to talk. He was very against the idea of L joining. L decided that he didn't like this messy haired man. He looked too uptight and the way he kept eyeballing Light would make one believe he was smitten with him. He spotted another man with bright red hair and green goggles. He leaned against the bakery wall and played on his handheld gaming system. L wondered if he was truly paying attention or if he was totally lost in his game world.

There were two girls with them as well. He recognized them both. Misa-Misa was a famous model and actress. He figured the only reason she was a Shinigami is because of the way she shamelessly throws out how "super incredibly awesome and caring" Kira is. It definitely wasn't for her IQ. Kiyomi Takada was more reserved than Misa and kept her mouth shut during the meeting while Teru and Misa yelled at each other. Kira quickly calmed them down with less than five words.

He stared at Raye who fidgeted back and forth in his feet. He automatically felt terrible about sending him in there. He had asked Raye, a very good member of the F.B.I., if he would spy on the Shinigami as a member of their group. He didn't look too pleased about it but complied for the sake of his fiancé and his future children. It wasn't too hard to get him in. Raye wrote on Kira's wall that he desperately wanted to be a Shinigami and protect the young. Two days later, Kira had come in contact with him and Raye was in. Although, L grumbled slightly, Raye never had to kill anyone to join.

He watched as Raye jump when he was asked a question. He mumbled his answer so low the microphones on the camera couldn't pick them up. L frowned. This guy didn't deserve to die. He had a fiancé who cursed L's very being for putting him up to this and a beautiful future with this girl. L had a mind to play dumb and shoot that messy haired glasses man instead. He knew, though, that Kira knew exactly who the spy was and if he killed the wrong guy, he would be gone as well.

Honestly, it was stupid now that he thought about it. While Raye was in the Shinigami, giving him useless report after useless report, L came up with a theory that Kira killed by himself. Raye never knew when Kira was going to kill and when he asked the other members they simply said that he works at night. L had no clue how Kira killed but he knew that he didn't have to be near them in order to kill them. L did not believe in the supernatural but he had to admit Kira worked in super freaky ways.

L glanced at the time. It was almost twelve thirty. He had to be there within the next ten minutes. He watched once more as Raye subconsciously played with the zipper on his coat and inched farther away from the enthusiastic blonde model. He didn't want to do this. He didn't know if he _could_ do this. He looked at Kira. His eyes were cold and guarded. L took in a deep breath and walked out of the hotel room. He had vowed that he would always solve a case. That promise had been broken once and it will never happen again. Even if he had to pull the trigger.

* * *

He turned up right on time. He slumped into the alleyway and kept his hands in his pockets. He was freezing but tried not to show it. His hair blew wildly in the wind and he did nothing to stop it. He stopped right next to Kira and looked at the group. One was glaring at him, two were watching in disgust, one was neutral, and the other was in half fear, half relief.

Oh yes, he thought, he was definitely going to get along well with this group.

L raised a hand in greeting, "Hello. I am Beyond Birthday but please call me Ryuuzaki."

They all mumbled a half hearted response. He remembered that Kira had told them to treat him with respect when he was in the hotel room. Clearly, they don't listen very well.

"Now, Ryuuzaki," Kira said, turning to him, "each Shinigami member has a role. While you were watching the video footage, were you able to determine what their jobs were?"

The Shinigami looked stunned at the mention of the video footage. "You were taping us?" Takada asked.

"Why wasn't I in on this?" Mikami questioned.

Kira simply held up his hand and they snapped their mouths shut with a frown. L pointed to each member. "The two females, Misa Amane and Kiyomi Takada, are for public announcements. They spread Kira's ideas. You had said that the annoying guy in the glasses-"

"Hey!"

"- was a spy who watches possible criminals. The guy with the video game wasn't mentioned but he's really into that video game and I can see a few wires sticking out of his pocket so I assume he's a hacker. The quiet guy with the short black hair wasn't mentioned a lot either so I'm guessing he's the errand boy." The girls and Teru chuckled and Raye bowed his head slightly. "Light-kun, you told me you were Kira. Before joining, I had a theory that Kira killed by himself. That is why I had no one else labeled as a killer until you."

Kira smirked, "You're pretty good at deducing roles, Ryuuzaki. Though, Misa and Kiyomi really weren't that hard to figure out. But what I want to know is if you figured out the question I asked you previously?"

L was secretly hoping Light would have forgotten about it. He took a deep breath through his nose. "I believe I have, Light-kun."

There was a nasty looking grin on Kira's face as he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a handheld gun. L willed his hand to stop shaking as he took the offered weapon.

"Light-sama!" Mikami cried. "What are you doing?"

They looked fearful. Every single one of them looked at the gun in his hand with in shock and horror. Misa clutched her hands to her shoulders, as if protecting herself. Kiyomi clenched her fists and her body shook. Teru took a few steps back, his breathing labored. Raye yelped and cowered behind his arms. The video game red head held his hands up in the air and said, "Dude, man, woah."

L looked at the gun in his hands. This was not the first time he had ever shot a gun before and it was not the first time he had shot someone before. But that shot had been to the arm, to stop the man from running away; this shot was to kill. He had never killed anyone first hand. Sending someone to death row and shooting someone with the gun in your hand are two completely different things. He didn't know if he was strong enough to pull the trigger.

Kira was watching him closely. His eyes narrowed as L stared at the gun. He said nothing.

L looked up and glanced over the Shinigami once more. They held their breath, closely watching his every move. He grasped the handle and moved his index finger toward the trigger. He held the gun up and everyone flinched, taking a step back. He aimed the gun at Teru, who ducked, and moved over everyone's head. He stopped at the spy.

Raye had tears running down his cheeks. He kept whispering 'No, no, please, no'. L hesitated then mouthed 'Sorry' and pulled the trigger.

* * *

The gun shot rang clear and loud. The sound bounced off of the police and bakery walls before it escaped over the town. Light smiled at Ryuuzaki. He knew he could do it. He wordlessly took the gun from the still man and pocketed it. He nodded at his Shinigami. Their eyes held fear and their bodies were frozen stiff. Soon, they broke out of their daze and followed Light out of the alleyway. He looked back to see Ryuuzaki staring at Raye's fallen body.

"Are you coming, Ryuuzaki?"

The man slowly tore his eyes away and shuffled his feet toward him. Light patted him on the back, "Welcome to the Shinigami."

Ryuuzaki simply nodded and followed silently the rest of the way home.

Light paid no attention to his quiet comrades. He was too busy thinking about tomorrow's newspaper. How the police will find a man's dead body soaking in his own blood three feet from their station and how a message from Kira appeared on the wall between the police station wall covered with words and the blank wall of the bakery.

"_Kira will prevail."_

* * *

Light flicked on the light. Ryuuzaki flinched at the sudden brightness and said nothing. "This is your room," he said as the dark haired man threw his small duffle bag on the single bed. "Yours and Matt's are the only bedrooms on the ground floor. Be thankful. Misa and Kiyomi share a bedroom upstairs and they never stop yelling at each other. Down here you can't hear them as well." Ryuuzaki started to unpack. He pulled out numerous amounts of plain white shirts and faded blue jeans. He also unpacked underwear, a computer, and at least twenty chocolate bars. Light noticed he did not bring socks or any other shoes besides the ratty looking ones on his feet.

"The kitchen is to your right," Light continued, "and the bathroom is across the hall."

Ryuuzaki nodded and unwrapped two Milky Ways. Light stood there for a moment before turning on his heel and leaving. Teru was waiting for him outside his room. His arms were crossed and he had a deep frown on his face. Light scowled, "Teru, I am not in the mood tonight. Please just go to bed."

"No, Light-sama. It's about that Beyond Birthday!" Teru insisted, following Light into his room.

"Ryuuzaki, Teru."

"Beyond Birthday, Ryuuzaki, whatever the hell you want to call him, is a phony!" Light turned and faced him. "I mean it! I went spying around and asked a bunch of criminals if they've ever heard of him and they say he's bad news! He's sneaky, very intelligent, and cold hearted!"

"Which is preciously why I let him join. If he's planning on getting sneaky to us, we'll catch him. Don't worry about it. I knew the risks coming in here."

"No! It's not that! They call him a murderer who enjoys killing way too much. He kills people all the time."

"So? Do you think he'll kill us in our sleep?"

"You didn't see him, did you? When he had that gun?" Teru whispered. "He looked at that gun with fear. He stared at it for a while. Much longer than an expert murderer would do. His finger hesitated when it was on the trigger. And I saw him mouth 'Sorry' to Raye before he shot him."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, sorry. Someone like him should not be mouthing 'sorry' to people he's about to kill. It's either he always tells them sorry before killing them or he knows Raye and felt bad about killing him."

"That makes sense. And if he knew Raye, he would have to kill him because I knew who the spy was and if he didn't kill the right person, I could easily kill him. He knows I know he's smart enough to figure it out."

Teru pushed up his glasses and looked at him dead on, "Light-sama, I do not trust this guy at all. I don't want him in here. It's either he's a sneaky, intelligent, cold hearted murdering bastard who could betray us in a second or he's a spy undercover as someone more useful than Raye."

"I agree it's suspicious but I'm willing to take the chance. We could really need him. I'm not going to toss him out because he might apologize to all his victims."

"I don't trust him! I don't want him in here!" Teru hissed. "He may try to kill us in our sleep or he could go straight to the police now that he knows our location. We're only a fifteen minute walking distance! They'll be on our case faster than you would believe."

Light smirked, "They've got other problems to worry about right now."

"Wha…?" Teru stopped and snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. "Light-sama… why did you have Ryuuzaki kill Raye? Was he really a spy?"

"I believe so, yes." Teru didn't answer. "I didn't want any more members, so when Kiyomi said that she offered Beyond Birthday a spot, I got angry. Then I thought about how valuable he could be and how useless Raye is and my suspicion of him being a spy. So I thought why not put Beyond Birthday through a test to not only see if he could find out who is the spy but also if he could indeed kill in cold murder in front of us."

"You put our lives on the line."

"All of our lives are on the line," Light said quietly. He walked to his desk and looked outside the window. Through the bare trees and over the college buildings, he could see bright lights flashing. There were no college students half hanging out their window to try and get a look or on the roads. He closed his binds.

"What if he shot the wrong one?" Teru was equally quiet. "What if he shot me?"

"Then I would have killed him. If he wasn't smart enough to figure out Raye's the spy from watching our video then he's not smart enough to take down L."

"Light…"

"Look, if he makes you nervous then I'll restrain him," Light turned and faced him. He crossed his arms and leaned against his desk. "I'll make him my servant until he proves his loyalty."

"You can't do that!" Teru shouted.

"Why not?" Light narrowed his eyes. "You're the one who doesn't trust him. You're the one who told me to keep an eye on him. And what better way than having him be my servant?"

"B-but… never mind," he grumbled. "I'm going to bed. Is there anything you need?"

"No, no, go ahead." Teru frowned and left. Light, not in the mood to kill, flopped on his bed, planning on staring at his ceiling for the next five hours.

* * *

L flinched when Kira hit the light switch. The room was plainer than he kept his office. There was a small single bed with a light blue blanket, a wooden dresser, a bookshelf with five books, a closet, and a nightstand. The walls were white and dark blue curtains covered the only window. He shuffled to the bed and dumped his small duffle bag.

"This is your room," Kira said behind him. He ignored the man; he was too angry right now. "Yours and Matt's are the only bedrooms on the ground floor. Be thankful. Misa and Kiyomi share a bedroom upstairs and they never stop yelling at each other. Down here you can't hear them as well."

He obviously didn't know when he wasn't wanted, L thought with a roll of his eyes. He unzipped his bag and pulled out his clothes. He only brought what he was absolutely necessary and items that could easily be replaced if he had to make a quick getaway. This was before he knew that the Shinigami were just a bunch of teenagers, probably younger than himself. He was more worried about them being stolen or ruined as a prank. Bringing his computer was a gamble. Without it, L would have no connection to Watari or the heirs. If Kira decided he needed to scan through it first, he had a fake profile to cover his real one. He didn't know if Kira had any hacking abilities but he knew for a fact that that goggles kid did. He could probably find the real profile with only a small amount of difficulty.

"The kitchen is to your right." L wanted to groan. Is he still here? "And the bathroom is across the hall."

He nodded and unwrapped two Milky Ways. He shoved one in his mouth. He couldn't think of a time he ever needed sugar more than he did right now. He heard footsteps on the creaky staircase and he looked over his shoulder. With a small sigh, he closed the door as softly as he could. He glanced at his bed. It was covered in his clothes. They were all folded up nicely, courtesy of Watari. He wanted nothing more than to throw himself on the bed and sleep this nightmare off. But he wasn't tired.

Cursing his insomnia, he picked up the pile of folded shirts and opened the top drawer. He dropped his shirts when he found wrinkle free button up shirts sitting innocently inside. He kicked the dresser as hard as he could. There was a small _thump_ from behind the dresser. Finding a small space between the wall and the dresser, there was a black book no bigger than the size of his hand. He picked it up and flipped it open. Inside was a picture of Naomi Misora. L had never seen her so happy before. He flipped the page and there was another picture of her and one of her and her fiancé.

L felt sick looking at their happy faces. His stomach was all in knots and his throat closed up seeing Raye alive and hugging his future wife. He chucked the album at the wall, knocking the lamp off the desktop. It shattered across the wooden floor.

He had killed a human being. He had committed murder. He was no better than Kira himself. He had pulled the trigger to a man's head. A man with a wife and a future. He was dead. Dead by his hands. He wanted to curl up in a ball and wake up fourteen years ago when life was nothing more than reading books in an empty library near the orphanage.

Forcing himself to his feet, L found the bottom drawer empty and shoved all of his clothes inside. The closet was unoccupied as well but he never had the patience to hang clothes so he left it empty. He opened his laptop and sent a quick email to Watari explaining not to worry and to check the morning newspaper on the recent happenings. After shutting down his computer, L flopped down on his bed, planning on staring at the ceiling for the next couple of hours.

* * *

With a loud curse, Naomi stumbled out of bed and threw open the door. "What?" she hissed. Don't her friends all ready know not to bother with her until she's had her third cup of coffee? She looked at the people and they were definitely not her friends. "O-oh! I'm sorry. I just woke up," she laughed nervously. Thank God she decided to wear sweatpants and t-shirt to bed last night.

"Are you Miss Naomi Misora?" one asked. Without her contacts, she could just barely make out the police badge the one man held up. She rubbed her eyes fiercely and moved closer. It was, in fact, a police badge.

And that could only mean one thing.

"O-oh no, no, no, no…" she whimpered. "Please, don't…"

The police officer held his head down, "I'm sorry, Miss Misora. But…"

"No!" she screamed. "Don't tell me he's dead! He can't be dead!" Tears poured down her face and she quickly wiped them. "He told me he'd come home! H-he p-p-promised…" Her knees caved out from under her and Naomi collapsed, crying hysterically until her elderly neighbor gently helped her to her bed.

"Raye! Raye!"

* * *

WOAH CRAZY INSANE WHO DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING? No seriously, it was kinda obvious who was dying. Anyway, big events coming up!

First: Happy Birthday, frnight! This chapter is dedicated to you! Lol it's a retarded birthday gift but whatever.

Second: I'm freaking graduating! OMG NO WAY. I can't freaking wait.

Third: MY FIRST EVER ANIME CONVENTION OMG YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES! Seriously, I cannot tell you how excited I am to be going to Otakon! I'm cosplaying as Misa cause it's easy.

That's it for my life. So you'll review now, right?


	5. Headstrong

Title: Enemy of the State

Author: hyperRme

Summary: The Shinigami are a notorious gang who kill criminals in the most mysterious ways. L is determined to take them down even if it means going undercover as a member and unintentionally falling in love with their leader.

Genre: Romance/Drama

Rated: Mature

Pairing: L X Raito

Disclaimer: Death Note belongs to Tsugumi Obha and Takeshi Obata. I am neither one.

Warnings: Guy on guy romance, rape, death, kidnappings, etc.

Headstrong – Trapt

Back off I'll take you on  
Headstrong to take on anyone  
I know that you are wrong  
Headstrong we're headstrong

* * *

_Light dodged another car and almost rammed head first into a large group of people. _

"_Watch it kid!"_

"_Get outta the way!"_

_He sprinted into an alleyway, trying to catch his breath. He peeked outside. There were so many people. Way too many for his liking. He pressed his back to the brick wall and sighed. Maybe running away was a bad idea… He shook his head quickly. No, how could he think that? Especially after all the torture he's been through with those guys. First things first, he needed to find his family. _

_Unfortunately, he had no clue what city he was in and where his family lived. They may live on the other side of Japan and Light was stuck in this unnamed town. He prayed that he put enough distance between him and the kidnappers so he could find his parents before they found him._

"_Hey lookie here, fellas. A lost soul."_

_Light whirled around. Four muscular men with ripped jeans and black shirts grinned at him as they stepped closer. "What's a kid like you doing in this part of town?"_

"_Lookin' for some trouble?"_

_As one reached an arm out, Light made a dash into the crowd. The people yelled indignantly at him but he didn't care. He was in public eye and those men couldn't touch him. _

_He stayed with the crowd as long as he could. He spotted a subway map and darted across the street. His brown eyes skimmed over the map. "Tokyo…" He racked his mind desperately for answers. Did he live in Tokyo? Did he live anywhere in the Kanto region? He memorized the street names, looking for one that would jump out and say "Don't you remember me, Light? I'm insulted! You were always near me!" _

_None did. _

_Frowning, Light set off on a journey to find a landmark that would spark his memory and bring him home. All day he searched. His head began to hurt when he reached a library and he took that as a sign. He circled around the library but nothing else sparked from anything in that area. Memorizing the coordination's of the library, Light searched elsewhere. His head also throbbed around an elementary school, a police station, and a tennis court. _

_As the sun continued its path west, the warmth it brought with it followed. Light shivered and warped his arms around him. He silently cursed himself for not bringing a blanket. The ratty old jacket didn't fit him as well as it did three years ago and it wasn't strong enough for the cold spring night. He searched for shelter against the raging wind and found an alleyway next to a police station. "It's gotta be safe," he whispered to himself. "No thugs would hang out in the alleyway next to the police station."_

_He sat on the cold concrete. His legs weren't used to this much exercise and they ached terribly. He rubbed them and shivered lightly. He curled into a ball to preserve body heat and sighed, resting his head between his knees. Running away was a bad idea, he thought. No matter how much they abused him, he was warm, he was fed and here he didn't have anything. He couldn't get a job; no one would hire a kid around sixteen with no last name, no social security number, and no address. He was going to die out here. His stomach growled angrily and Light groaned. What was he going to do for food? _

"_I could always steal…"_

_He quickly shook his head. No, that would make him a criminal. A member of society no better than his kidnappers. Light leaned his head against the brick wall. "This sucks."_

_As if the gods heard him, a loud crackle of thunder raced across the sky. Light looked up and a rain drop fell on his nose. Then another. And another. Soon it was pouring. _

"_Shit!" he yelled, scrambling to his feet. His vision went white as a lightning bolt darted over his head. He found a fairly clean, empty garbage can and jumped inside. He grabbed the nearby lid and covered his head with it. Light was curled up in a garbage can without a single good memory to keep him company.

* * *

_

"Servant?" L hissed dangerously. "You want me to be a _slave_?"

"Ryuuzaki…" Kira sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I did not offer my help for this treatment. I am willing to share my knowledge of L and this is how you repay me? By making me a slave?"

"You're not a slave, you…"

"You just told me I am to do your dirty work and anything you ask of me without pay. That is a slave."

"You're getting a roof over your head and all the cake you want. That's your payment!"

"That is my for my knowledge on L. Anything else will be considered slavery."

"Look," Kira snapped, slamming his hand on the table. L's glass of milk shook. "We can't trust you. You're a very high profile criminal and you know that Shinigami hate criminals. Normally, at first sight, I would have killed you. But your knowledge of L is valuable to us. I made an agreement not to kill you once we receive the information and bring down L but he isn't dead yet and I'm sure I can kill L myself. My Shinigami are worried about you sleeping under the same roof and they want you to have restrictions."

"Why hire someone you don't trust? Why give someone a loaded gun if you don't trust them? I could have killed you all last night, Light-kun, but I didn't. I didn't because I want to see you win. It's either I'm your slave or your information provider. I am not both."

"It's just until we can trust you. Until then, I need you at my side so I know you aren't snooping around or killing off my Shinigami. It's either you're my servant or you're out of the group and if I have to let you go now, I'm going to have to kill you." Kira turned on his heel and walked toward the kitchen exit. "It's your choice. You have ten minutes to make up your mind. Come see me then."

L wanted to punch him out. He wanted to kick and punch him until he couldn't recognize that pretty face of his. He instead stabbed his fork angrily into his the piece of cake and took a bite of it. He would have to lower his pride enough to become Kira's slave. It was either that or fail to solve the case. It wasn't his own death he was worried about. He was faithful in his abilities to sneak away before Kira could get to him. But to never figure out how Kira killed? To leave all those people vulnerable to Kira and his unknown killing ways? The thought would haunt him even in death. He made a promise that he would never fail to solve a case again. So if that means being Kira's slave then so be it. He swallowed the cake in his mouth.

Of course, it didn't help that Kira and the Shinigamis sure did know how to pick out delicious cake.

He heard loud footsteps and L braced himself for another Kira invasion. Instead, it was that glasses guy. L wasn't positive but he thought his name was Taro Maki. He nodded, sounds legit.

Taro Maki stopped right in front of him and pointed his finger at his nose. "My name is Teru Mikami and I fucking hate you!"

Whoops, L thought. He knew something was off.

"I'm sorry to hear that," L replied calmly. "I think Taro-kun is quite the likable man."

"My name is Teru, you asshole. Teru-sama to you."

L liked the icing off his fork, "I do not call anyone using the honorific sama, Tari-kun."

"Teru!" he yelled. "It's Teru!"

"Is there something you wanted?" L really wanted to eat his cake in silence. It didn't taste as good in bad company.

"Yeah, one: I hate you. Two: I don't trust you. Three: Light-sama says you are to meet with him in ten minutes."

"He all ready told me that. Did the princess forget all ready? Is his memory that bad?"

Taro clenched his fists, "Fuck you! How dare you call Light-sama that! He's wonderful, smart, caring, handsome, intelligent…"

"There's no need to overload me with your man crush, Tango-kun. Also, smart and intelligent mean the same thing." L flew out of his seat when Taro smashed his fist into his cheek. He sat up and gingerly rubbed his cheek. "Ow. That was cruel, Tonya-kun."

"Fuck you, Ryuuzaki! You don't deserve to be here, you bastard." Taro stomped his way out and tripped on L's out stretched leg. He crashed onto the wooden floor with a loud crash.

"Whoops," L said, standing. "Did I leave my leg out like that? Sorry." He stepped over a stunned Taro and exited the kitchen. Taro yelled at him to come back and face him like man. "Sorry, but Light-chan is asking for my presence."

He chuckled under his breath at Taro's loud string of curse words. As he climbed the stairs, he realized he had no clue which room was Kira's. He never had a reason to come up here in the less than twenty four hours he's been here. The upstairs flooring was covered in a deep blue carpet and had white walls with nothing decorating them. There were four white doors. In one, L could hear two girls screaming at each other about over stepping boundaries and stealing makeup. Another was partially open and he could see the bathroom sink. Quickly doing an "Eeny meeny miny mo" he chose door number one and opened it.

"Did you decide?" Kira asked, leaning against his desk.

The tone of his voice and the small smirk on Kira's face pissed L off. He knew L wasn't going to leave. He knew that he was going to be his goddamn slave until possibly forever. He knew and L wanted to kill him for it.

"I refuse to do your laundry and if I have to iron shirts, you're going to find big burn spots."

Kira's smirk grew, "No clothes. Got it."

"Is that all?" L asked after a small moment of silence.

"No, I want an introduction on L." Kira pointed to his nicely made bed and L sat on it. He was surprised it wasn't any softer than his downstairs. "I don't know much about L besides that he's the world's greatest detective. I would like a character bio on him. Just to start off with."

"He's a bit of narcissist. He thinks he's the best and has no problem flaunting it around."

Kira raised an eyebrow, "Truly?"

"If you ever read his cases, you will notice that L never appears before anyone because he thinks they don't deserve to see him. He likes to keep a mysterious aura surrounding his name as well. He constantly taunts his suspects, telling them that he's going to catch them, they're not smart enough to outdo him, and he's the greatest detective in the world. He also hates to be compared to Eraldo Coil and Deneuve."

"The second and third best detectives? Why would he hate being compared to them? You would think he would love it since they're second and third best to him."

"It's a very close second and third. L makes it sound as if he's leagues ahead of them but he knows that they're not far behind him."

"What about his likes and dislikes?"

L tapped his finger to his chin playfully, "He likes winning, difficult challenges, cheese steaks, and football. He dislikes losing, boring activities, sweets, and American football."

Kira stared at him for a while. L was beginning to suspect brain damage before he finally spoke. "How do you know so much about him? I honestly didn't think you would answer that. I expected you to just know his cases and information about him after studying his habits based on those cases. Do you actually know L?"

He had a sudden urge to pull his legs to his chest but he made a promise that he wouldn't do anything that he would normally do in the comfort of his office. Besides eating cake and refusing to wear socks, that is. "You could call me his apprentice. He liked my intelligence and wanted to train me into a world class detective like himself but I didn't care for sitting around in an office as world's greatest detective talked about himself. He always insulted me and nothing I did was right. So I left to become a world class criminal and be a better criminal than he was a detective. He would never catch me and then everyone wouldn't think so highly of L anymore. And with your help, Light-kun, I think we can take him down."

Kira looked like he was in shock, "You worked with L? Actually worked under him?"

"It was a miserable time in my life but yes I worked under him."

"What does he look like?"

"It's very unlikely you'll ever see him face to face but he has wavy blonde hair and blue eyes. He's French and has a slight accent."

Kira simply nodded. L bit his lip when he didn't say anything else. "Is that all?"

He sat in his chair and opened his laptop. "Make me a mug of hot chocolate."

L grounded his teeth together and walked briskly down the stairs. The girls were still screaming at each other. He briefly heard "You look like an unused tampon!" and continued his journey into the kitchen.

His feet were cold on the wooden floor and he silently cursed the fall weather. His office was always a comfortable seventy three degrees and had carpet everywhere so his feet never had to touch cold floors. L stopped in the middle of the kitchen and stared at the endless amount of drawers and cabinets. "… Shit…" Having absolutely no idea where anything where, except for the cake and the milk in the refrigerator, L cursed again and began to open cabinets. Of course, this wasn't like the typical college house where there was no food because no one remembered to buy any, the Shinigami cabinets were full of food. Each cabinet was full of different varieties of food. One had healthy granola bars, another was full of cookies, the next had different brands of cereal, the last one had something he didn't even want to know if that was the correct coloring or not. Shutting the cabinet with a loud slam, L got on his knees and looked through the bottom drawers.

"Goddamn Kira and his stupid hot chocolate. Why isn't anything organized? Each stupid member in this stupid group should have their own cabinet with a label. 'Here is Kira-bastard's hot chocolate'. That would make a great label," L muttered under his breath as he moved a loaf of bread out of the way.

Giving up, L kicked the door shut and glared at the cabinet. He heard footsteps behind him and he spun around to find the hacker red head.

"Yo, new guy. Whatcha looking for?" he asked, pocketing his PSP.

"Hot chocolate," L replied bitterly.

The kid's eyes grew behind his goggles. He laughed, "Oh yeah, I heard the whole "slave to Light" thing. Sucks, man, sucks major ass. My suggestion: stay cool and calm. Do what he says and soon enough, you'll be slave free in no time."

"You were in a similar dilemma?"

"Ehh… something like that. Light and I made a bet last year, over something stupid like what color is Misa's underwear. I lost and was forced to be his slave for a week. He was a real slave driver in the beginning…" L groaned. "… But he eventually let up. He's a pretty cool guy once ya get to know him. Light's not the kind of guy who enjoys pissing his friends off. If you're nice to him, he'll let you go. This is, after all, about trust issues."

"Light-kun? Nice? I have a hard time believing that."

The kid laughed again, "Don't let the title Kira fool ya. Light has some issues with his past but he's a good guy in the heart. He is trying to protect the innocent, ya know. But he has problems expressing it. Give him time." He stuck out his hand. "The name's Matt, by the way. Welcome to the club, Ryuuzaki."

L shook his hand, "Thanks. Now… hot chocolate?"

Matt grinned, "Light likes to hide it." L resisted the urge to curse. "Misa loves hot chocolate and she often forgets that it's off limits and makes some. She's too lazy to look around for it."

"Why doesn't she just buy her own?"

"We have a bulletin board with a list of shopping needs. If you don't put what you want on there, you're screwed. Misa is a bit of an airhead and never remembers to put her food up there. Luckily, Teru has a habit of overbuying and he shares with her."

"Glad to see that was mentioned to me," L answered sarcastically.

"Hey, don't sweat it. Light took care of ya, see?" He pointed to the board. There was a list with the title 'Light' with 'CAKE' written in large letters and circled many times and under was a list of healthy foods. "Light hates cake with a passion. But he knows you wanted it so he made sure to write it down. You'll get your own list soon enough. Grocery day is today, he didn't have enough time to make it yet."

"I suppose I'm the one doing the shopping?"

Matt pushed his goggles up his nose. "Yeah probably. Hey, I'll go with you. Cause you don't know where it is and I need some cigarettes. Raye always bought the wrong kind."

"So Raye was nothing but a slave in this house?" Oh, yes, Naomi would be so thrilled if she knew L sent her future husband to Kira to be a housewife for three weeks before he was murdered.

"Pretty much, really," Matt shrugged. "The guy never talked, he never mentioned any skills useful to the Shinigami except cook and clean." He grinned. "Man, he could make grilled chicken like you wouldn't believe. Oh, hey, hot chocolate." He walked to one of the top cabinets and took out a can of peanuts. L blinked owlishly as Matt opened the lid and pulled out a packet of hot chocolate mix.

"You think he'd mention it was in a can of peanuts," L grumbled as he snatched the mix from Matt's hand and grabbed the tea kettle. He flipped the faucet on and filled the kettle before placing it on the stove. "Why peanuts?"

"Misa's allergic to them," Matt said simply. L cursed Kira under his breath and few dozen times and scratched his leg with his foot. "Here," he said, throwing a can of whipped cream at the detective. "Light likes whipped cream. It doesn't hurt to suck up in your position."

L thanked him. They waited in silence as the water came to a boil and L filled a mug with the hot water and hot chocolate mix. He squirted a ton of whipped cream on top. "When Light sends you to do the grocery shopping, come get me. My room is right over there." He pointed to a closed door near the stairs. Matt gave a short wave and disappeared behind the door.

L carefully climbed the stairs, careful not to spill. He didn't bother to knock and entered. "Oh, I'm sorry. Am I interrupting something?"

Kira gave a short huff and pushed Taro away from him. Taro shot him a look that promised a thousand years of pain and left swiftly. "No, you weren't interrupting anything."

"Are you sure? He had you trapped against your desk. If that doesn't say sex in the workplace, I'm not sure what does."

Kira rolled his eyes, "What Teru and I do is none of your business."

L shrugged and handed Kira his hot chocolate, "You should warn me if you're going to put the hot chocolate mix in a can of peanuts. It's not the most logical place to look for a newbie."

"You put whipped cream in it…" Kira said, transfixed on the black mug in his hands.

"Is that a problem…?"

"No, just surprised, I guess."

L smirked, "It doesn't hurt to suck up my position."

Kira looked up at him and gave him a short smile. "I don't think it does." L blinked at him. Was that a smile? Not a smirk, not a sneer. But a smile? Was Kira even possible of smiling? Or even looking so handsome with that smile? L frowned.

"Is there anything else you require of me?"

"Today is grocery day."

"So I'm to go to the grocery store?" L took a one step closer to the door.

"You've never been to the grocery store here, have you?" L shook his head. "I'll go with you then."

"Matt-kun all ready offered."

"Did he?" Kira's voice was low and soft. "Ignore him. He has a task I asked him to do. He's trying to procrastinate. Give me five minutes to finish my hot chocolate. In the mean time, sit."

L really had no desire to sit on a murderer's bed but did so anyway. Kira turned back to his computer and hit the space bar to rid the screen saver. On instinct, L pulled his legs to his chest. A screen saver? Taro must have been in here for a while then. What was their relationship? It was obvious that Taro was smitten for the good looking murderer but how did Kira feel? L snorted in his head. That man has no feelings. He would bet all the candy he brought with him that Kira was just using him for sex. He had the glasses wearing man wrapped around his finger. He could get all the sex he wanted. L felt dirty sitting on his bed. Eyes widening, L quickly jumped off the bed. Oh, god, he thought staring in disgust at the bed, who knows how many times they've had sex there?

Kira turned around and faced him, "Ryuuzaki? Are you all right?"

"My legs are restless and I don't feel like sitting." Kira nodded and faced him computer.

Bad thoughts plagued his mind like, well, the plague. Sweaty bodies sliding against each other, hands everywhere, loud moans piercing the silence. L shook his head. Need a distraction, L thought, anything.

There was a bookshelf across the room. It was a dark brown and had more books than it could hold. L walked up to it and examined it. The collection wasn't half bad. He expected to see numerous books on Hitler, Famous Criminals, Strategy, and other books revolved around murder. But these were all novels, with the occasion Anatomy, Psychology, Criminal Law, and Chinese text books. L guessed he got them from the college bookstore. He had Sherlock Holmes, Hemingway, Dickson, Shakespeare, and The Great Gatsby. He was surprised to see Harry Potter and shounen manga taking up a lot of room on the book shelf.

"If you would like to borrow any, you may." L spun around to see Kira shutting down his computer. "If you see anything that pertains to your interest go right ahead and take them. As long as you return them when you're done."

L mumbled thanks and grabbed Macbeth from the shelf. Kira motioned for him to follow him down the stairs. As they passed Matt's room, Kira knocked on the door. The red head yelled a "Hold on" before opening the door.

"Matt, I will be taking Ryuuzaki to the grocery store. You have to complete the assignment I gave you before tonight."

Matt scratched the back of his head, "Oh yeah, I forgot about that. I'll get right on it, boss." He smiled at L before shutting the door and locking it.

Kira turned on the faucet and cleaned out his empty mug. "What's tonight?" L asked.

"Hmm?" Kira hummed, scrubbing the inside with a small green sponge.

"You told Matt-kun that he had to finish an assignment before tonight. What is tonight?"

Kira grabbed a towel from the oven handle, tried his mug and placed it on the shelf. "I'm sending Teru out on a mission tonight at the local bar. He needs to find out what people are saying about Kira."

"Do you not read the newspaper?" Kira grabbed his coat from the rack and opened the front door. L's body tensed at the cold windy weather.

"Every day. But that is a columnist's opinion or the police man's opinion. I'm looking for college students."

L glanced around the campus, "You have hundreds of college students in your backyard. Why don't you just ask some of them?"

"Think about it, Ryuuzaki," Kira huffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I can't just walk up to people and ask them what their opinion of Kira is. At the bar, Teru causally brings it up with the people he's sitting with. And with alcohol in their system, they're more likely to say how they really feel." He glanced over at L. "Aren't you cold?"

"I'm fine, Light-kun. I am used to cold weather," L replied. He was thankful his teeth clattering were not too obvious.

Kira frowned and said nothing else. They walked side by side down the leaf covered pathway. There was a shout of "Look out!" before a tall, athletic looking man ran out in front of them. He jumped, caught a yellow Frisbee, and flung it back toward his buddies. He looked at them and grinned. "Sorry about that, guys. Oh, hey, dude, how's it going?" He patted Kira on the back.

"Eh, it could be worse," Kira said with a shrug. "My parents are really hounding me on my grades but I really just wanna spend time with my girl."

"I know how it is, dude. That girl of yours is mighty cute. Not as cute as my girl but she's up there." He patted Kira on the back once more before taking off. "I expect to see you at my party next week! In the old music room! Seven o'clock, Friday!"

"I'll be there!" Kira yelled back with a wave.

"You're a student here?" L asked once the guy was out of hearing range.

"Of course not. Running an organization like the Shinigami is a full time job." Kira dropped the cheerful college student act as quickly as he was able to put it on.

"Does anybody in the group go to college here?" Kira shook his head. "Then why do live here?"

"Think about it: we're a group of six young adults living together. If we lived anywhere else but a campus, it would look weird. Here, we can enter and leave freely. It's also close to the college shopping center. Teru is very good with words and manipulation. College kids are easy to manipulate. I'll throw Teru into town for a night, get a group of kids wild up, and soon we've got more Kira supporters."

"Surely you run into kids who don't believe in Kira's ideals."

Kira looked at him, "We do. If we meet people who are against Kira and refuse to change their mind, then we leave them alone. No use blowing our cover over a stupid argument."

They made the exit off of the campus and into the town. The town was small and, for the most part, quiet. There were a few students in the café and in the arcade but the streets were practically empty. They passed a bakery and L couldn't resist the cakes in the window. Practically sprinting, L pressed his hands and nose against the glass.

"Oi, Ryuuzaki, let's go!" Kira said from behind him.

"Can we get a cannoli? Please, just one?"

"No, not from there. We can pick up some at the grocery store."

"But these look really, really good!"

Kira grabbed him by the back of his shirt and dragged him into the alleyway next to the bakery. For a splint second, L feared he was going to be killed. Kira let go of his shirt and faced a wall. L glanced over his shoulder and saw "Kira's Wall of Victims" as he dubbed it. L's been to this wall many times before last night. He had made a mental list of the victims who had yet to die and collected them into a hotel. They all died of heart attacks within a few minutes of each other starting at 2 am. Nobody was present in the rooms with them and Watari had checked each room for chemical gasses.

It didn't make any sense.

The back part of the alleyway was closed off with yellow police tape that read: 'Crime Scene Do Not Cross". Behind the tape L could see white paint to mark the outline of Raye's fallen body. What really caught his eye was the female with her face buried in her hands aside the white paint. Kira, the ever insensitive inhuman being that he is, called out to her, "Excuse me, miss. You know that you're not allowed into a crime scene, correct?"

The female looked up, her brown eyes burning in complete hatred and sadness. She brushed the long bangs out of her face and stood up. "What makes you think I give a fuck you…" she trailed off, catching eyes with L. "You!"

No matter how many years L studied capoeira Naomi Misora has been studying it longer. He was on his back in a matter of seconds. "You've gotten better, I see," he groaned, rubbing his back.

"I thought you were in prison!" she yelled.

"I escaped."

"You know her, Ryuuzaki?" Kira asked.

"You're in line with Beyond Birthday?" Naomi hissed. "You're no better than he is."

"Naomi, it's impolite to judge people. You judged me the first time we met."

"Yeah and look at you! You're a murderer!"

"Hmmm… I guess you are correct with that."

"What are you doing in Japan?" she growled. "Torturing L again?"

"Why yes I am, as a matter of fact."

"Good, do that for me. And tell him I will never, ever forgive him what he did to my fiancé."

Kira visually perked up, "L wronged you? What happened to your fiancé?"

Naomi glared at him and pointed a shaky finger behind her at the crime scene. "That bastard sent my fiancé into Kira's lair to die."

"I read about that this morning in the newspaper. Raye Penbar, right? I'm terribly sorry about your loss." L noticed the change in Kira's expression. At first it was gleeful at the sound of hating L to a stony, fake sorrow look. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not from the likes you of," she hissed. "You're probably a criminal as well, hanging around with the infamous Beyond Birthday. Maybe you're Kira himself."

There was a small flash of panic in Kira's eyes before he let out a loud laugh, "Me? Kira? The rumors say he is a god."

"There is only one God in this world and God wouldn't do this to innocent people," she whispered, holding up a picture of her and her fiancé. "Kira is as human as you and I. His killing technique may be unworldly but Kira is human."

Kira smiled at her, "I like you. What was your name again? Naomi…"

"Misora."

He pulled out his wallet and a pen. He scribbled a quick note. "Here's my number. If you find anything else about Kira, please let me know. You're correct that I am a criminal and Kira is as much as my enemy as he is yours."

Naomi nodded as Kira finished writing the note. He handed it to her and she hesitantly took it. She looked down at it and she gasped. "W-what is this?"

Kira smirked as Naomi's eyes glazed over. L jumped to his feet. "Naomi? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Please excuse me," She half muttered as she took zombie-like steps out of the alleyway. The note slipped between her fingers and the wind carried it to L's feet. He bent over and picked it up.

"I am Kira" he read. "Light-kun, what did you do? This is very dangerous!"

He laughed as traced the woman's steps, "Don't be so worried, Ryuuzaki. I hope you didn't care for her too much…" he turned his head around and gave him a wicked grin. "Because you'll never see her again."

* * *

OMG How did I forget to update? Sorry! Well, Naomi's dead, Raye's dead, who's next? Okay so this story really doesn't have too much humor but I really like the whole L never calls Teru Teru game. He refers to him as Taro (name stolen from the Death Note pilot story) but calls him whatever sounds close to Teru aloud. Ha! It's stupid but I love it.

On another note: Leaving for Otakon tomorrow! Anyone else gonna be there?


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